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Start-up and Innovator Visas – Everything You Need to Know (2025)

Your Complete Guide to Launching a Business in the UK as a Foreign Entrepreneur

Are you an entrepreneur thinking about launching a business in the United Kingdom? As of 2025, the UK offers two primary visa routes for ambitious founders: the Start-up Visa and the Innovator Founder Visa. These business immigration pathways are designed to attract innovative, scalable ventures from around the world—and support foreign nationals in building a future in Britain.

In this comprehensive guide, we explain the eligibility criteria, application process, business requirements, endorsement procedures, and settlement options for each route. Whether you’re an aspiring first-time founder or an experienced innovator, this guide will help you make informed decisions and navigate your path to success in the UK.

Table of Contents

1. Overview of the UK’s Business Visa Landscape

2. What Are the Start-up and Innovator Founder Visas?

3. Key Differences Between Start-up and Innovator Visas

4. Eligibility Criteria

5. Endorsing Bodies in 2025

6. The Application Process Step by Step

7. Costs and Fees

8. What Kind of Businesses Qualify?

9. Innovator Founder Visa: Investment Requirements Explained

10. Switching Visas and Transitioning from Start-up to Innovator

11. Visa Duration and Extensions

12. Pathway to Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain)

13. Rights and Restrictions

14. Common Mistakes to Avoid

15. Alternatives to Consider

16. Frequently Asked Questions

The UK has long been recognised as a global business hub. Since discontinuing the Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa in 2019, the Home Office has focused on high-potential innovators. The current system favours entrepreneurs who can bring novel, scalable, and viable business ideas.

In 2025, the UK Start-up and Innovator Founder Visas form the backbone of the country's business immigration policy. These routes support a streamlined, merit-based pathway into the UK economy, while also offering opportunities to settle permanently.

🧪 Start-up Visa (2025)

Designed for new entrepreneurs launching their first business in the UK, the Start-up Visa is ideal for individuals with an exciting business concept but limited experience. No investment funds are required. It is a two-year, non-renewable visa that allows holders to build and test their ideas.

🚀 Innovator Founder Visa (2025)

This visa replaces the previous Innovator route and targets experienced founders with growth-stage or high-impact ventures. While the previous £50,000 capital requirement has been removed, applicants must still show access to sufficient funding and business credibility. The Innovator Founder Visa is valid for three years and can lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

Not sure which visa route suits you best? The table below highlights the essential differences between the UK Start-up Visa and the Innovator Founder Visa in 2025. Use it to quickly compare requirements, duration, and settlement options.

Understanding who qualifies for each visa is crucial before you start your application. Both visas share similar baseline requirements but differ in terms of experience and expectations.

Start-up Visa Requirements:

• Age 18 or older

• First-time business founder in the UK

• Endorsement from a recognised endorsing body

• Innovative, viable, and scalable business plan

• English proficiency at CEFR Level B2

• £1,270 in savings for 28 consecutive days before applying

Innovator Founder Visa Requirements:

• Age 18 or older

• Previous business experience or strong entrepreneurial background

• Endorsement from a Home Office-approved endorsing body

• Business idea that is innovative, viable, and scalable

• English proficiency at CEFR Level B2

• £1,270 in savings for 28 consecutive days

Getting an endorsement is a mandatory step for both visa types. The endorsement must come from a Home Office-approved organisation that assesses your business idea for innovation, viability, and scalability.

Recognised Endorsing Bodies (2025):

• Envestors Limited

• Innovator International

• UK Endorsement Services (UKES)

• The Global Entrepreneurs Programme

These bodies are tasked with reviewing your business proposal and verifying that it meets the standards required for visa approval. They also continue to monitor your progress during your time in the UK and may revoke an endorsement if your business no longer meets visa conditions.

Applying for either visa involves a series of steps. Here’s how to approach the process for the best chance of success.

1. Create a Business Plan: Develop a business plan that clearly demonstrates how your idea is innovative, viable, and scalable.

2. Submit for Endorsement: Send your business plan to one of the approved endorsing bodies. Each has its own process and timelines.

3. Receive an Endorsement Letter: If successful, the endorsing body will issue a letter that’s valid for 3 months.

4. Submit a Visa Application: Apply online via the UKVI website using your endorsement letter.

5. Attend a Biometrics Appointment: You’ll be invited to provide fingerprints and a photograph.

6. Wait for a Decision:

   • Outside the UK: Approximately 3 weeks

   • Inside the UK (switching): Up to 8 weeks

Planning for costs is essential. Below is a breakdown of typical fees associated with each visa route:

Keep in mind that these fees may vary by endorsing body and application location. Check the official UK government site for the most up-to-date figures.

Not every business idea will pass endorsement. The UK is looking for enterprises that can provide economic value and job creation.

Qualifying Business Ideas:

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning platforms

• Greentech and environmental innovations

• SaaS tools solving specific B2B challenges

• Biotech or Healthtech advancements with strong research backing

Typically Rejected Proposals:

• Local service businesses (e.g., barbershops, cafés, salons)

• Traditional retail without a tech or innovation element

• Passive investment vehicles (e.g., real estate, crypto mining)

Your business must:

• Offer a unique value proposition not easily found in the UK market

• Demonstrate your ability to operate it

• Have the potential to scale nationally or internationally

Although the strict £50,000 minimum investment requirement has been removed, financial readiness remains critical. Applicants must demonstrate their business is financially viable and capable of launching and scaling in the UK.

Key Financial Expectations:

• Access to capital to fund startup or growth (savings, grants, investors)

• Detailed financial projections with realistic revenue expectations

• Break-even analysis and budget for staffing, marketing, tech, and operations

• Transparency on where funds come from and how they’ll be spent

Some endorsing bodies, particularly in high-cost sectors like healthtech or fintech, may still set their own capital thresholds during assessment.

If you enter the UK on a Start-up Visa, you’ll eventually need to switch to an Innovator Founder Visa to remain in the country and pursue settlement. This transition is not automatic and requires a reassessment.

Requirements for Switching:

• A new or updated endorsement based on your business progression

• Evidence of growth, such as revenue generation, MVP development, or team building

• A refined business plan that reflects real-world learning and progress

This pathway is ideal for entrepreneurs who launch under the Start-up Visa and later prove their business has long-term potential.

Each visa comes with a defined duration, and your ability to stay in the UK depends on meeting key requirements.

Start-up Visa:

• Valid for 2 years

• Non-renewable

• Must switch to an Innovator Founder Visa to extend stay

Innovator Founder Visa:

• Initial duration of 3 years

• Renewable indefinitely, if your business remains endorsed and active

Extensions are granted when you can show progress, continued innovation, and commercial potential.

One of the most attractive features of the Innovator Founder Visa is the opportunity to gain permanent residency after three years.

ILR Eligibility Checklist:

• Continuous UK residence for 3 years

• Valid, unwithdrawn endorsement

• Business meeting at least 2 of the following:

  • Created at least 10 full-time jobs for UK residents

  • Achieved £1 million+ in annual revenue

  • Grown customer base significantly (domestically or internationally)

  • Received major external investment

• Pass the Life in the UK Test

• Meet English language requirements (CEFR B1 or above)

After holding ILR for at least one year, you may apply for British citizenship.

Both visa types grant broad freedoms—but with limitations.

Rights:

• Live and operate a business in the UK

• Bring dependants (partner and children under 18)

• Access private healthcare and education

• Open bank accounts, rent property, and access legal services

Restrictions:

• No access to public funds or benefits

• Cannot work as a professional sportsperson

• Innovator Founder Visa holders cannot take external employment—you must work solely on your endorsed business

Applying for a Start-up or Innovator Visa is not just about filling in forms—it requires strategic planning.

Frequent Pitfalls:

• Submitting generic or vague business plans

• Choosing an endorsing body with no expertise in your sector

• Ignoring English language and maintenance fund requirements

• Failing to update your endorsing body or meet progress milestones

• Applying with ideas that lack innovation or scale potential

If the Start-up or Innovator route doesn’t suit your profile, there are other business-friendly visa options in the UK.

• Skilled Worker Visa: For those with a job offer from a UK-based sponsor

• Global Talent Visa: For tech, science, academic, or creative industry leaders

• UK Expansion Worker Visa: For overseas companies expanding into the UK

• Scale-up Visa: For talent joining fast-growing UK companies in key roles

Each route has distinct criteria, but all contribute to strengthening the UK’s innovation ecosystem.

Do I need a degree to apply?
No. Education is not a requirement. What matters is your business plan and execution capability.

Can I work outside my business while on a Start-up Visa?
Yes. Start-up Visa holders can take on other employment. Innovator Visa holders cannot.

How long does it take to get endorsed?
It varies by endorsing body, but typically takes 4–8 weeks.

Can my family join me?
Yes. You can bring your partner and children under 18. They can work and study in the UK.
Read more about Family Visas.

Can I reapply if my visa is refused?
Yes, but you will need to address the reasons for refusal and possibly seek a new endorsement.

With strategic preparation, a strong business concept, and the right support, the UK’s Start-up and Innovator Founder Visas can open the door to long-term success and settlement. Whether you're testing a big idea or expanding globally, these routes offer an exciting way to build your future in one of the world's most dynamic economies.